DURHAM, N.C.—The Duke University wrestling team recently was honored by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) for its excellence in the classroom this past season. The Blue Devils ranked 10th as a team in grade point average, while two Duke wrestlers were among the 82 Division I wrestlers honored for their academic work.

Duke ranked tied for 10th with Penn State with a 3.15 team grade point average. The Blue Devils were second among ACC squads with Virginia coming in tied for fourth. Harvard took home the top spot with a 3.37 GPA, while Nebraska was second.

Redshirt sophomore Brandon Gambucci and redshirt freshman Conner Hartmann represented the Blue Devils on the individuals list. Duke was one of three ACC programs to have multiple wrestlers on the list as Virginia and Virginia Tech had multiple honorees.

Gambucci, a NCAA qualifier at 133 pounds, captured All-ACC honors with a runner-up finish at the ACC Championship. He compiled a 20-8 overall record and was one of four Duke wrestlers to post at least 20 wins. Gambucci placed among the top three at the Keystone Classic and ACC Championship and posted a 12-3 record in dual matches. He was selected as the ACC Wrestler of the Week following and upset victory over No. 24 Sam Speno at NC State. The Mansfield, Ohio native led all Blue Devils with seven pins, six of which came in the opening period, and sports a 43-19 career record.

Hartmann joined Gambucci at the NCAA Championships, earning an at-large bid following his third-place finish at 197 pounds at the ACC Championships. Sporting a 17-10 overall record, the Port Orchard, Wash., native rebounded from a midseason injury to earn a spot on the podium at the conference championship. Hartmann opened the year by winning the Hokie Open and proceeded to place in the Michigan State Open, the Keystone Classic and Southern Scuffle before getting suffering an injury. Seeded fourth at the ACC Championship, Hartmann lost a narrow match to No. 2 seed Derrick Borlie of Virginia Tech to take third overall.